China News Network, January 20 After the volcanic eruption triggered a large-scale tsunami, the assistance of the international community has been delivered to the Tonga government!
Video screenshots. Source: Chinese Embassy in Tonga
The Chinese government rushed to the rescue and took the lead in providing the first batch of material assistance
On the 19th local time, the Chinese government urgently raised a batch of drinking water, food and other emergency supplies worth 280,000 yuan through the embassy in Tonga and donated them to the Tonga government.
Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga and Chairman of the National Emergency Response Committee, Tayy, expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Chinese government for donating the above-mentioned materials, which are the first batch of emergency relief materials received by the Tongan government after the disaster, carrying the special friendship between Tang and China.
At the same time, the Red Cross Society of China has provided $100,000 in emergency humanitarian spot assistance to the Tang side. At the request of the Tang side, the Chinese government will provide assistance to a batch of emergency supplies such as drinking water, food, personal protective equipment, and disaster relief equipment, and will arrive as soon as the airport resumes operations and flight conditions permit.
From January 14 to January 15, 2022, the submarine volcano of Hong Aha Apai Island in the South Pacific island nation of Tonga erupted violently for two consecutive days and triggered a tsunami. A satellite image of a cloud rising from the water on January 7, 2022.
Earlier, the Chinese side has repeatedly said that the Chinese government is continuing to track the disaster situation in Tonga and find ways to deliver follow-up aid as soon as possible to help the government and people of Tonga overcome the disaster and rebuild a better home at an early date.
Relief supplies from New Zealand and Australia arrived in Tonga
On the 20th, two humanitarian flights carrying relief supplies from New Zealand and Australia also arrived in the Pacific island country.
The two large military transport planes landed at Tonga Fua Amottu International Airport. For the past two days, Tongans have been busy clearing thick layers of volcanic ash from the airport's runway.
On January 19, 2022, local time, the photo of Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, was released in a devastated manner. Image source: The Paper
This is the first batch of aid provided by Australia to Tonga, and a second aid transport plane is on the way.
New Zealand's C-130 Hercules transport aircraft also landed at Tonga airport today. New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaya Mahuta said the plane was carrying humanitarian assistance and relief supplies, including water containers, temporary shelter supplies, generators, hygiene supplies, household goods and communications equipment.
Due to Tonga's strict COVID-19 prevention regulations, the plane will not stay long.
Recently, more shocking images of the volcanic eruption in Tonga, filmed from the sea, were announced. The set of photos, released by the Latin America News Agency, showed that the volcano spewed out large amounts of smoke and ash that were spreading above and outside the island.
According to the United Nations, more than 80 per cent of Tonga's population is affected by volcanic eruptions. The most pressing needs are for access to safe drinking water and the timely distribution of other relief items such as food to the population.
The Prime Minister's Office of Tonga officially announced on the 19th that due to the volcanic eruption of Hong Aha Apay Island and the large-scale tsunami, Tonga suffered major human and property losses, and the environment was also greatly damaged, and the country entered a state of emergency from January 16 to February 13, local time.